1 Overview
Local planning authorities consult us for advice on any road and transport issues that affect proposals submitted for planning permission. They then take our recommendations into account when making a decision on a planning application.
We can provide advice on road and transport issues associated with any proposed development before you submit a planning application. The benefits of seeking advice include:
- reducing the time and cost involved in working up proposals
- reducing the subsequent cost of unsuccessful applications
- comprehensive information on what you need to provide with your application
- helping to speed up the decision-making process once an application has been submitted
If you submit an application without seeking our advice first or have not used the advice given, we will base our response to the local planning authority on the information submitted with the application on the planning portal.
At full planning stage, there will unlikely be time to discuss at length and revise a proposal/design before the local planning authority needs to make a decision on the application.
2 Traffic volumes and speed surveys
Coronavirus has reduced traffic on our highways and decreased public transport use. We continually monitor the situation and its impact on the county's transport network. Whilst usage has risen, levels are still lower than they were pre-pandemic. There is uncertainty about when or whether usage will return to previous levels.
As a result, surveys need to follow these criteria:
Speed surveys: You can use speed surveys undertaken in free flow conditions. They should be undertaken in line with CA 185 Vehicle speed measurement.
Traffic flow surveys: You can undertake traffic surveys for vehicle movement. If nearby historical permanent data is available, you may need to compare surveys. This will ensure flows are representative. We may ask for the application of a growth factor if there is a considerable gap in the data. Permanent count data is available on our traffic counts page.
The applicant must show, with evidence, that surveys give robust data to support a planning application. We can provide site-specific advice about this. Use our pre-application advice service at level 1 - free written advice.
In most instances the above process will be appropriate. We reserve the right to review applications on a case-by-case basis. If necessary, we may request further information or data to support surveys.
3 Advice levels
Our advice can include:
- relevant policies and guidance
- the required level of detail and supporting information necessary to provide a valid assessment of highways and transport matters
- whether a contribution towards highways and/or transport improvements is likely to be required
- transport assessment scoping to determine the content, preparation and presentation of a transport assessment likely to satisfy our requirements
- comments we have made about previous applications at the proposed site
- the suitability of access arrangements
- a review of your road safety audit and a designer response
Details about the levels of advice
Level 1 - Free written advice
We provide a substantive written response free of charge to your first request for advice. That response will either:
- state that we have no comment to make
- state that we are satisfied with the proposal, based on the information provided
- refer you to national and local policies and guidance that should be considered
- provide advice on the development proposal as submitted
For larger development proposals, we cannot provide a full response to transport assessments or other technical proposals as part of our free service. However, we may be able to advise on scoping for these documents.
This service:
- is suitable for small to medium developments where the proposals are straightforward
- includes a written response sent within 21 days of receipt of your request
- includes advice that will reflect the level of detail that you have provided
- does not include a meeting
If you require further correspondence with us after a free written response has been issued (including calls and emails) charges will apply for more in-depth discussions or review of further information/drawings or the request of a meeting. The request will move to a level 2 request.
Level 2 - Single meeting with written advice
This service:
- is suitable for small to large developments where the proposals are not straightforward and might require discussion to resolve matters
- includes a single meeting at our offices or on site - we will aim to contact you within 5 working days of receiving payment or an invoice being issued to arrange the meeting
- includes written confirmation of advice, sent within 21 days of the meeting
- includes advice that will reflect the level of detail that you have provided
- incurs a cost that must be paid upfront
If you require further correspondence, review of further designs or meetings with us, further charges will apply.
Level 3 - Development team
This service is suitable for larger strategic developments that will require our longer-term involvement and multiple meetings. It includes scoping, meetings, site visits and ongoing correspondence. We will agree specific timescales, the nature of the advice required and costs with you. To discuss your requirements email preappadvice@westsussex.gov.uk.
4 Cost
Note: Pre-application fees will increase in line with inflation from 1 April each year.
After receiving your request for pre-application advice, we will send you an email to pay online if we are providing one of our chargeable services. Payment will be required before meetings can be booked with our officers.
Alternatively, we can issue an invoice, if required. You should indicate on your application if you require an invoice and provide the invoicing details and any purchase order number required by the payee. When paying by invoice, meetings can be booked in with our officers once the invoice has been issued.
| No. of dwellings | Commercial and retail area | Single meeting and written response |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 | Up to 100m² | £360 plus VAT |
| 11-24 | 101m²-500m² | £860 plus VAT |
| 25-49 | 501m²-1,000m² | £1,220 plus VAT |
| 50-79 | 1,001m²-2,000m² | £1,790 plus VAT |
| 80-199 | 2,001m²-5,000m² | £2,865 plus VAT |
| 200+ | 5,001m² + | £3,150 plus VAT |
After an initial meeting and response has been provided, should further review of additional information be requested that requires considerable officer involvement then the following fees will apply.
| No. of dwellings | Commercial and retail area | Additional written response only |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 | Up to 100m² | £145 plus VAT |
| 11-24 | 101m²-500m² | £570 plus VAT |
| 25-49 | 501m²-1,000m² | £860 plus VAT |
| 50-79 | 1,001m²-2,000m² | £1,575 plus VAT |
| 80-199 | 2,001m²-5,000m² | £2,865 plus VAT |
| 200+ | 5,001m² + | £3,150 plus VAT |
5 Additional information
Be aware that:
- a substantive response can say that we have no comment to make, are happy with the proposed development, refer to current standing advice, provide general advice and include justification for our views
- requesting pre-application advice from us is not mandatory but we will no longer enter into discussion over the scope or content of any specialist highways and transport proposals outside this service
- any advice given does not constitute a formal response or decision
- any views or opinions are given in good faith and on the best of ability, without prejudice to the formal consideration of any planning application, which will be subject to public consultation and ultimately decided by the local planning authority
- little or no weight will be given to the content of our pre-application advice for schemes submitted more than 3 years after the date of the advice being used
- any advice given in relation to the planning history of the site, planning constraints or statutory designations does not constitute a formal response under the provisions of the Local Land Charges Act 1975
Supporting information
- Design manual for roads and bridges
- Manual for streets and Manual for streets 2 - Guidance for those involved in the planning, design, provision and approval of new streets and modifications to existing ones.
- Road agreements - Guidance (technical notes and other documents about Section 278, Section 38 and minor works agreements) and application forms.
- Transport assessments - Guidance from the Department for Transport.
- Trip Rate Information Computer System (TRICS) - The national standard system of trip generation and analysis used as a part of the transport assessment process.
- Guidance on parking at new developments (PDF, 4.5MB) and Car parking demand calculator (Excel, 1.8MB) - Applies to parking in residential developments where requirements are calculated on a site-specific basis using the demand calculator. To accompany this calculator view the maps in the bullet below. If you are not able to use the calculators for accessibility reasons, contact us.
- Local design guide (PDF, 369KB) - Supplementary guidance for residential development proposals and advice on how the manual for streets should be interpreted and applied in West Sussex.
- Parking standards and transport contributions methodology supplementary planning guidance (PDF, 292KB) - For all development-use classes and a contributions methodology to be applied to commercial and residential development.
- Road Safety Audit Policy (PDF, 477KB) - The design manual for roads and bridges has been updated and HD 19/15 has been replaced with GG 119 road safety audit. As from 1 April 2019, we require road safety audits to comply with the requirements of GG 119 and not HD 19/15.
- Transport assessment methodology (PDF, 267KB) - For local authorities and developers.
- West Sussex cycling design guide (PDF, 984KB) - A guide for developers, planners and engineers.
- Bus Gate Enforcement developer's pack (PDF, 377KB) - Guidance to developers who are installing a Bus Gate within a WSCC development.
- Highway boundary information - Submit a request to find the boundary of a property or land with the highway.
6 Request advice
Please note: Any meetings for pre-application advice will be via conference call for the time being. No site meetings will be taking place.
Request pre-application advice (external link)The following documentation must be included with your request or it will be returned:
- site location plan (scale 1:1,250) with the site boundary shown
- description of proposed works/Transport Scoping Note
By providing more information, we will be able to provide a much more comprehensive response.
For example, the documents listed below are required for a full planning application; submitting these at the pre-application stage will provide a much more solid basis for a future planning application.
- schedule of existing uses, including planning history with reference numbers
- description, including site layout plans of the proposed development and schedule of uses.
- summary of reasons supporting site access/highway works proposals, including plan (scale 1:200 or similar) with achievable visibility splays indicated
- design Audit of proposed highway works, including identified departures from standards
- final stage 1 Road Safety Audit of proposed highway works and RSA Audit Response Report (in line with GG119), including amended plans as necessary
- location plan of key services indicating locations of education, employment, food retail, non-food retail and healthcare facilities
- reference to supporting national, regional and local planning documents and policies
- parking strategy, including provision of parking for all modes of transport, using the new WSCC guidance on parking at new developments issued in September 2020. (For developments in Arun, Crawley and the South Downs National Park, please refer to their own parking guidance documents.)
- relevant data collected to date
- proposed trip rates supported with Trip Rate Information Computer System (TRICS) outputs and site selection methodology
In terms of our chargeable services, we now require payment to be made before a meeting can be booked in with one of our officers. If paying by invoice, then this can be done once an invoice has been issued.
Extra information submitted after an initial submission, but before a meeting, will have to be done so in a reasonable time to allow officers time to review this before a meeting. Extra information submitted in the 48 hours prior to any meeting may result in the meeting being cancelled and re-arranged to allow our officers time to review the information and prepare.
7 What happens next
After submitting your request for advice, you will be contacted for payment of the non-refundable fee for our chargeable services. For free written advice, you will receive an email confirmation that the request has been booked in.
No meetings can be booked until payment has been received or an invoice issued.
8 Contact our team
If you have a query about applying for pre-application advice, please get in touch: